This invention relates generally to a machine for harvesting crops in a field and forming a windrow of cut crop, more particularly, to a curtain for managing crop flow coming off of the cutterbar and directing it into the header for subsequent crop processing.
In modern crop harvesting machines, it is desirable to optimize cutting headers for specific crops in order to maximize harvesting efficiency. Such optimized headers are typically based on existing header designs with specific-purpose modifications incorporated to alter finite portions of the crop flow within the header to suit the specific crop being harvested. This approach helps control production costs of the equipment and extends the life cycle of a basic header design.
One specific application involves harvesting of grasses, seed or other specialty crops having seeds on a stem which must be cut and dried in a windrow a desired amount before undertaking operations to separate the seed from the stems. Care must be taken when working with such crops to minimize disturbances to the cut crop material which results is dislodgement and loss of the seeds, especially when a rotary disc cutterbar is used. A cutting header must be capable of cutting the crop from the ground and forming a windrow to allow crop drying in advance of subsequent harvesting operations without dislodging significant amount of seed from the stem. Conditioning mechanisms are typically omitted in the harvest of such specialty crops. Other headers might include a conditioning mechanism but require alterations to the crop movement apparatus ahead of the conditioning mechanism to optimize crop movement for maximum harvesting efficiency. Experience has shown that other changes to crop conveying and handling devices in the header are also desirable to prevent crop clogging and entanglement with moving mechanisms in the header. Clogs result in lost harvesting productivity while an operator removes the entangled crop and also lost seed due to the increased disruption to the crop material when the entanglement begins.
It is known to use a windrower having a header equipped with a transversely arranged crop conveying apparatus, such as an auger featuring opposite-hand flighting on each end for conveying severed crop material within the header. U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,709 granted to Webb on Jul. 12, 1994 shows a typical crop severing header using such a transverse feed mechanism of this type. Efficient crop movement within the header requires that the severed crop material be properly aligned and optimally positioned as it approaches the conveyor apparatus to prevent crop from wrapping around the moving mechanism. While a forward debris skirt is known for managing crop movement into the header and toward the cutterbar apparatus, crop movement between the cutterbar apparatus and the transverse conveyance/consolidation apparatus remains problematic. Additionally, air flow generated by the conveyor or apparatus or conditioning rolls, if present, tends to move in a forward direction counter to the rearwardly moving cut crop, which can disrupt crop flow within the header. When specialty crops which require gentler handling to avoid loss of seed are involved, the importance of efficiently managing crop flow from the cutterbar to the windrow becomes even more important.
It would be desirable to provide an apparatus for smoothing and managing seed-bearing crop flow into a specialty crop header which reduces the loss of seed from the crop while efficiently conveying severed crop material toward a centrally located discharge zone for formation of a windrow that overcomes the above problems and limitations. Still more desirable would be an apparatus that improves crop material movement with a variety of crop harvesting headers.